|
Comic books have made an incredible impact on pop culture. The Marvel series of movies alone have made over $28 billion dollars, and stores are full of merchandise featuring the likenesses of Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the Incredible Hulk. It’s almost impossible to believe that all of that came from the imagination of one man—Stan Lee.
This Wednesday, December 28th, would have been Stan Lee’s 100th birthday, and we at the Edison Public Library wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate his life.
Born Stanley Lieber, Lee began working at Marvel Comics—then called Timely Comics—at the age of 17, doing menial work like filling inkwells and erasing the pencil lines from artwork. He always had his eye on writing the “Great American Novel,” so when he was given a job writing backup stories for comic books, he adopted the pen name of Stan Lee.
In the early 1940s, Lee entered the United States Army, during which time he continued to write comic stories and send them to the editors through the mail. By the 1960s, acting as Editor-In-Chief, Lee would take inspiration from Marvel Comics’ biggest rival—DC Comics—and create a new team of superheroes. But unlike the flawless god-like heroes like Superman and Batman, Lee created a team who faced real-world problems that readers could relate to.
The Fantastic Four struggled with family squabbles. Spider-Man had to deal with money issues. The X-Men were shunned as outcasts. Because of this relatability, Marvel’s characters were lauded by audiences.
The popularity of Marvel’s superheroes led to Lee becoming the face of the company, becoming almost as recognizable as the heroes themselves.
Though Lee passed away in 2018, the legacy of the characters he created continues on.
If you want to learn more about Stan Lee and the history of Marvel Comics, or read some of the stories written by Lee featuring the early adventures of the Marvel characters, check these books out from your local Edison Public Library branch!
|
